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The United States has imposed sanctions on a operation of several persons and entities accused of recruiting South American contractors to fight for and train a armed faction in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the measures on Tuesday, the US Treasury Department stated the network was mostly comprised of individuals and businesses from Colombia.

Numerous of former Colombian military personnel have been recruited to go to Sudan to combat beside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group implicated in horrific war crimes such as ethnically targeted slaughter and large-scale abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters first came to light last year, prompted by an inquiry which revealed that more than 300 retired troops had been contracted to engage in combat – an revelation that led to an unprecedented apology from officials in Bogotá.

Colombian ex-soldiers have widely regarded as among the world’s most sought-after mercenaries due to their considerable warzone knowledge gleaned from years of internal conflict, knowledge of advanced weaponry, and superior tactical education.

Reported Actions

In the conflict, the contractors have been accused of teaching child soldiers, provided drone warfare training, and fought directly on the frontlines. A mercenary was quoted as saying that training children was "horrific and irrational" but noted that "sadly, that is the nature of conflict".

Targeted Persons

Among those penalized was a dual national, a individual with dual citizenship and former army officer based in the Dubai. The government said he had a key part in enlisting and transporting former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Oliveros, was also sanctioned.

Also on the restricted list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual national who officials alleged managed a business implicated in processing money and salaries for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque engaged in multiple financial transactions, amounting to millions," the Treasury statement said.

Citizen of Colombia Mónica Muñoz Ucros was the fourth individual to be targeted, with the firm she operated said to have conducted money transfers associated with Duque and his operations.

"The US once more urges external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury said in a statement.

Expert Analysis

An expert, from a conflict think tank, labeled the actions as a "major" step, noting that "targeting the enablers is the right way to go".

It was also noted that, Colombia ratified a piece of legislation ratifying the International Convention Against the Recruitment and Use of Mercenaries, designed to limit decades of Colombian involvement in overseas wars and transform domestic defense strategy.

Sean McFate, a authority on private military contractors, advised additional measures, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for combating widespread use of contractors".

"This is a shadow economy and based out of the Emirates, which is largely insulated from sanctions," he stated. The Emirati government has been repeatedly implicated of arming the RSF, claims it rejects. "Expect more Colombian mercenaries," the expert cautioned.